I wasn't around last week, I was on vacation. My wife and I spent the week tasting wine and taking in the sights in California wine country.
Because we had a one-day engagement in LA, we started there and the next day drove North to Paso Robles, one of my favorite wine areas. Bought three great bottles of reds there. From there we drove to Santa Rosa, where we stayed most of the week. Santa Rosa is toward the Northern half of Sonoma County, just south of Mendocino and Lake Counties.
This year we went primarily to Mendocino and Lake Counties. They make some great Pinot Noir up there! I don't want to leave out Northern Sonoma County, which is much different than the popular Southern end and more like the counties to the north.
We tasted mainly Pinot Noir, next red Zin, and a few Syrahs; not much cab where we tasted. About every tasting room also had chardonnay to taste.
These counties (and Northern Sonoma) have lots of small, boutique wineries, which sell almost entirely to in-house tasters and people on their mailing lists. The wine is more expensive, but the quality is something very special.
Several places did tastings the way I like them - instead of one tasting of a Pinot, one of zin, one syrah; there were multiple tastings from one varietal, each bottle coming from a different vineyard. It is amazing how different a wine from one vineyard can taste, compared to another vineyard just down the road or across the road; all made by the same winemaker. It really gives you perspective about a single varietal.
Did I mention that in many of the places, we got to talk directly with the winemaker?
One place sat us down by a fireplace, served us about 7 different Pinots on a tray, along with some pairings... no wine tasting fee!!! Some places did charge $5, but the fee was waived if you bought anything.
I have always liked Pinots, but I really do believe I like them better now.. or maybe it's that I appreciate them more now.
Another winery, which specializes in red Zins did a similar tasting of multiple zins. Again, amazing the differences in taste within the same varietal.
Before we left, we did a few tastings in southern Sonoma Country, where most wine-related visitors go. The tastings were sometimes $20 and they didn't waive the fee unless you bought 2 bottles of wine. To tell you the truth, with the exception of a couple of cabs, I didn't taste anything there that was any better than up north. The Pinots up north were actually much better; Pinots do better in cooler areas; Medocino/Lake Countires are a little cooler than Napa and southern Sonoma.
I guess what I noticed most about the popular Somnoma area was the people running the tasting rooms were sort of snobby. I think Napa and southern Sonoma are getting the big head... something their French rivals have had for a long, long time.
Our intention was to spend one day tasting in Amador Country, further to the east, next to the Sierras. We didn't make it that far this time; maybe next year.
Anyway, if you like to go on wine tasting trips to California, don't think you have to go only to Napa or Southern Sonoma to taste some really great wines.
Because we had a one-day engagement in LA, we started there and the next day drove North to Paso Robles, one of my favorite wine areas. Bought three great bottles of reds there. From there we drove to Santa Rosa, where we stayed most of the week. Santa Rosa is toward the Northern half of Sonoma County, just south of Mendocino and Lake Counties.
This year we went primarily to Mendocino and Lake Counties. They make some great Pinot Noir up there! I don't want to leave out Northern Sonoma County, which is much different than the popular Southern end and more like the counties to the north.
We tasted mainly Pinot Noir, next red Zin, and a few Syrahs; not much cab where we tasted. About every tasting room also had chardonnay to taste.
These counties (and Northern Sonoma) have lots of small, boutique wineries, which sell almost entirely to in-house tasters and people on their mailing lists. The wine is more expensive, but the quality is something very special.
Several places did tastings the way I like them - instead of one tasting of a Pinot, one of zin, one syrah; there were multiple tastings from one varietal, each bottle coming from a different vineyard. It is amazing how different a wine from one vineyard can taste, compared to another vineyard just down the road or across the road; all made by the same winemaker. It really gives you perspective about a single varietal.
Did I mention that in many of the places, we got to talk directly with the winemaker?
One place sat us down by a fireplace, served us about 7 different Pinots on a tray, along with some pairings... no wine tasting fee!!! Some places did charge $5, but the fee was waived if you bought anything.
I have always liked Pinots, but I really do believe I like them better now.. or maybe it's that I appreciate them more now.
Another winery, which specializes in red Zins did a similar tasting of multiple zins. Again, amazing the differences in taste within the same varietal.
Before we left, we did a few tastings in southern Sonoma Country, where most wine-related visitors go. The tastings were sometimes $20 and they didn't waive the fee unless you bought 2 bottles of wine. To tell you the truth, with the exception of a couple of cabs, I didn't taste anything there that was any better than up north. The Pinots up north were actually much better; Pinots do better in cooler areas; Medocino/Lake Countires are a little cooler than Napa and southern Sonoma.
I guess what I noticed most about the popular Somnoma area was the people running the tasting rooms were sort of snobby. I think Napa and southern Sonoma are getting the big head... something their French rivals have had for a long, long time.
Our intention was to spend one day tasting in Amador Country, further to the east, next to the Sierras. We didn't make it that far this time; maybe next year.
Anyway, if you like to go on wine tasting trips to California, don't think you have to go only to Napa or Southern Sonoma to taste some really great wines.
